Door mounting and hinge construction



July 30, 1940. a. J. MERCER DOOR MOUNTING AND HINGEOONSTRUCTION Fi led Oct. 11, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 July .30, 1940.

G. J. MERCER DOOR MOUNTING AND HINGE CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 11, 1937 INVENTOR.

GkoRez d MERCER 7f. yd/

July so, 1940.

G. J. MERCER DOOR MOUNTING AND HINGE CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 11., 1957 INVENTOR. 65mm: (1 MERCER BY 19/ W ATTORNEY.

Patented July 30, 1949 PATNT critic DOOR MOUNTING AND HINGE CONSTRUCTION George: J. Mercer, Detroit, Mich, assignor of one-half to Leon Ottinger, New Yorh,-N. Y.

Application October 11, 1937, Serial No. 188,384 15'0laims. (Cl. 16-435) This invention relates to an improved door mounting and hinge construction and has for its general object and-purpose to provide a hinge 5 mounting especially adapted for the doors of motor vehicles which will be in harmony with the modern tendency towards streamlined design.

It is, therefore, the principal object of my invention to provide a concealed hinge particularly l suitable for use on the doors of motor vehicles,

which is of simple, economical and rugged construction, readily adaptable to the door and its supporting pillar without necessitating any radical changes in automobile body construction as 15 now practiced, and which permits of the easy, ac-

curate and rapid mounting of the car door upon the body pillar.

It is another object of my invention to provide a concealed hinge for vehicle doors which is of such 20 construction as to enable the door to be swung to a maximum open position substantially at right angles to the plane of the side panel of the car body, and which also permits the car owner to easily and quickly remove or dismount the door 25 from the supporting body pillar for convenience in repainting, while on the other hand, when the door is looked all parts of said hinge construction are inaccessible so that the door may not be disconnected from the body pillar at the support- 30 ing hinge.

. The above stated objects and advantages are attained in a concealed hinge construction which consists essentially in a hinge member, pivotally mounted within the body pillar upon a vertical 35 hinge pin, and a complementary hingemember fixed to the door and provided with means for separable bearing engagement with the hinge pin, together with means for detachably coupling said hinge members together for unitary swinging 40 movement, the said coupling means being inaccessible from the exterior of the door and retaining the hinge member on the door in cooperative relation with said hinge pin;

It is also a further object of the invention to 45 provide a concealed hinge for vehicle doors, as

above characterized, which :will efiectively support the door against sagging, and while permitting ot a tree swinging movement of the door to a' maximum open position will cooperate with the 50 body pillar to prevent contact of the door with the body panel of the vehicle. a

With the aboveand other objects in view, th invention consistsin the improved door mounting and binge construction, in the form, construction 55 and relativearrangement of the several parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustratedin the accompanying drawings and subsequently incorporated in the subjolned claims.-

In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated sev- IO 'eral simple and practical embodiments of the in-.

vention and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view of a vehicle door assembled upon the supporting body pillar by means of my improved concealed hinge, the door being illustrated in a more or less fully open position, s

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially'on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the method or assembly of the complementary hinge members on the body pillar and the door in mounting the latter,

Fig. 3 isa similar horizontal sectional view after the assembly has ben completedand showing the door in its closed position.

Fig; 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line lof Fig. 3, i

' Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially on line 55 of Fig, 3,.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a slightly modified form of the concealed hinge,

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section similar to Fig. 2, illustrating the method of assembly of the hinge construction shown in Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is a similar horizontal section with the door in its closed position,

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8, so

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line ill-:10 of Fig. 8,

Fig; 11 is a detail vertical section taken on the line ll of Fig. 8,

Fig. 1213 a detail perspective view of the hinge member mounted on the door supporting pillar, and

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary view of a motor vehicle,

illustrating the absence of projections, or streamline 'efiect obtained by the use of,my improved 40 concealed door hinge.

For the purpose or, illustration, I have shown my improved concealed hinge as applied to a motor vehicle door and body pillar of more or less conventional construction. In the drawings a part of one of the body side panels is indicated at 5. At the inner side of this panel and at one edge of the door opening, the vertical door supporting body pillar is arranged, said pillar as herein shown consisting of the opposite side plates} and I respectively, rigidly connected in spaced relation to eachother by the rear vertical wall 8,- the opposite edges of which are flanged as shown, and securely welded-to the side plates or walls 6 and I. The body pillar also includes a front wall r 9 which may either be separately formed or constitute an integral extension of the side wall 6. The edge of the body panel 5 at the door opening is provided in spaced relation from the side wall I or the pillar with an inwardly extending flange go of angular form having the parts and 26 rell, said flange having one or more parts indicated at Ii, struck therefrom and bent,over upon the edge of an inclined section of the front wall 9 of the pillar' which is inwardly spaced from the body panel 5. The sidewall I of the body pillar at its outer edge and in spaced relation from the panel 5 is laterally bent as at l2, and in conjunction with the part ll of the body panel, forms a rabbet for receiving the vertical "edge of the door plate when the door is in its closed position. The lateral extension I2 of the pillar'wall I terminates in an inwardly extending flange l3 contacting with the flange iii of the body panel and securely welded thereto. a

The side wall 1 of the hollow body pillar and the parts it, l2 and i3 are cut-away to provide an opening, indicated at II, which accomwhich is applicable as well to various other door and pillar constructions commonly known and accepted as standard practise in the automotive industry. g

Within the hollow body pillar, opposite the opening I4, and adjacent to the body panel 5, a

vertically disposed hinge pin i1 is irgidly mounted.- While various methods might be adopted for mounting or supportingthis hinge pin within the pillar, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, I

secure a plate It to the inner face of the side wall 6 of the pillar by suitable screws, indicated at ll. One vertical edge-of this plate is formed with upper and lower lugs 20 and 2| respectively and an intermediate lug 22. These lugs have axially aligned openings to receive the hinge pin II which is rigidly fixed at' its ends, in any suitable manner, in the lugs" and 2i.

A hinge member or arm 28 is bifurcated at one end to form the spaced hinge knuckles 2 disposed above and below the lug 22 and provided with openings receiving the hinge pin I! so that said member'23 has free swinging movement upon the hinge pin.

As herein shown, this hinge arm or member is spectiveiy, disposed in a common plane and extending at an angle of somewhat less than 90;

' relative to each other. It will be noted that the part 26 is flared or gradually increased in width toward the free end of the hinge arm and provided with an opening-21. extending vertically therethrough. V

To the vertical'edge wall It of the door a base plate 28 of a second hinge member is secured by means of screws indicated at '2}. Ibis member comprises upper and lower hinge arms II projecting. from the base plate2l and'each of which substantially corresponds in shape or form to the hinge arm 28. The free end of each of the arms 3! isformed with a hinge knuckle 3i having an open'socket or hearing seat 22. At the other ends of said hinge arms ll and between'the same an abutment surface 33 is provided and in 'spaced relation thereto, each ofsaid hinge name has a vertically extending opening 24. The free end of the hinge arm 23 is provided with the end vehicle bodies.

face 35 for contact with the abutment surface 23 I to limit swinging movement of the arm 23 on the hinge pin to a position between and in accurate vertical alignment with the hinge arms on the door and with the openings 21 and 34 in properly registered relation.

The mounting or hangingof the door upon the door pillar is easily and quickly accomplished in the following manner. While the door is positioned substantially as shown in Fig. 2, the angular end portions of the hinge arms 30 are moved inwardly through the opening it of the door pillar until the bearing seats 32 engage with the "hinge pin l'l above and below knuckles 24 of the hinge member 23. This hinge member 23 is then swung outwardly through the opening it until its end face 35 is in closely mating contact with the abutment surface 33. A coupling pin 36 is now inserted downwardly through the registering openings 21 and 34. It will be noted that in this position of the hinge members there is ample space between the vertical end wall ii of the door and the body panel 5 to permit of the easy and quick insertion of the coupling pin. In this mannor, the hinge arms 23 and III are rigidly coupled together 'for unitary swinging movement about the axis of the hingepin l1, and the bearing seats -32 are retained in closely fitting contact with the peripheral surface of said pin. It will be noted that the hinge members are'of very rugged construction and by increasing the area of contact between the hinge arms 23 and 30 adjacent to the door, greater stability is obtained to prevent saggipg of the door. r

After the hinge members have been coupled together as above described, the door may then be swung to the closed position as seen in Fig. 3. The angular hinge armsare then positioned within the hollow door pillar and all parts of the hinge are inaccessible from the exterior of the door, including the coupling pin 36. The vertical edge of the door plate I5 is disposed within the rabbet at the adjacent corner of the door pillar, and the outer surface of said plate is disposed substantial- J ly in the same plane as the outer surface of the panel 5. Owing to the location of the hinge pin l1 and the arc of swinging movement of the door, a very close relation between the door plate and the body panel is obtained when the door is closed.

Thus'all outwardly protruding parts at the hinged l0 edge of the door are eliminated so as to augment the desirable streamline eifect in motor vehicle body construction.

Referringflsfln to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, it is to be particularly noted that my improved hinge construction permits of a maximum opening movement of the door. This movement I portions of the hinge arms with the flange ill of the body panel and-in such fully open position,

the front wall on plate ii of the door is disposed in a plane approximately at right angles to the plane of the body panel 5 and out of contact therewith.

The. cut away portion of the pillar rabbet at the o uter edge of the opening it does not mar or detractfrom the appearance of the car body,

as this cut away part of the pillar is covered and concealed by the edge-of the door.

The construction above described particularly lends itself to the quantity production of motor Having attached the complementary hinge members to the door pillar and door respectively, as the car body progresses along the assembly line, a single workman may assempling pins 36, the weight of the door being supported by the hinge members 23. Therefore the time consumed in hanging the door at the assembly station will be reduced to'a minimum.

The physical effort required to assemble the door 'upon the body pillar is also much less than in the present practice. The hinge swings. from a single hinge pin, is of maximum strength and free from erratic action, while at the same time, with a minimum length of the hinge members, I obtain a maximum degree of opening movement of the door without interference by or contact with the body panel surface so that there is a fully unobstructed entrance space. The cut away part of the door pillar rabbet thus enables my concealed hinge to operate to the greatest advantage with a comparatively short length of the hinge arms or members.

Concealed hinges for the doors of motor vehicles have been heretofore proposed by others, but such suggestions were found to be impractical in that they seriously limited the degree of opening movement oi-the door, and in most cases made it quite diihcult to properly assemble the door upon the door pillar. Therequisite stability to prevent serious sagging of the door was usually lacking. My present invention obviates such objections and provides a concealed hinge for motor vehicle doors of rugged and durable construction which enables the door to be mounted or hung with even greater ease and facility than the standard type of exposed coach door" hinge. The door is also securely supported against sagging for free and easy movement to its open and closed positions. A further practical advantage of my new hinge construction resides in the fact, that for convenience in repainting or refinishing the motor vehicle body the doors canbe readily removed by simply removing the coupling pins to while the doors are disposed in the open position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thus the work may be expedited, and the doors then easily and quickly remounted or hung upon the door pillars in the manner above described.

Referring now-to Figs. 6 to 12 inclusive of the drawings, wherein I have shown a slightly modified form of my invention, in this instance the door is provided with a single hinge arm 3d of substantially the sameform as the hinge arm 3@ previously referred to. A single hinge arm 23' is also pivotally mountedupon the vertical hinge pin. The hinge email however, is of appreciably greater width than the hinge arm 23'. The

plate 68 is formed with supporting lugs 2d and 2i at its upper and lower ends for the hinge pin, the intermediate lug 22 of the construction shown In Fig. 1 .being omitted. The hinge knuckle M which pivotally connects the arm 23' with the hinge pin has bearing contact upon the lug 2i and the knuckle ti of the hinge arm to is engaged with the hinge pin between the knuckle 2d and the lug 2s.

Below the hinge arm 3d and in spaced relation thereto a lug 3? projects laterally from the baseplate 28' and is formed with an upper beveled or inclined surface 38. The free end of the arm 23' has a similarly beveled or inclined lower surface 39. In vertical alignment with the lug 31 the lower face of the hinge arm 36' is provided with a cam surface 59 to engage the mating surface 58' on arm 23'.

Adjacent to the knuckle 3|! the hinge arm or is also provided on its lower face with a transversely inclined cam surface it. Thus it will be apparent that, when the lower hinge arm 23' is swung outwardly from the door pillar to the coupling position as its free end enters the space between the hinge arm 30' and the lug 3'1, a vertical wedging action will take place tending to urge the hinge arms in relatively opposite directions and into bearing engagement with the lugs 20' and 2! respectively. Thus relative axial V movement of the hinge arms along the hinge pin i1 is prevented, further assuring a non-sagging pillar.

Of course the lug 37 is provided with an opening therein which registers with the vertical openings in the hinge arms 23' and 30' to receive the coupling 'pin 36.

In Fig. 13 of the drawings, I have illustrated, in

a general way, the unbroken continuity of the 'surface contours of the vehiclebody equipped .support of the vehicle door relative to the body belt line molding 65 which extends around the vehicle body and across the doors. These handles are gracefully elongated and in their normal horizontal positions are disposed closely-adjacent to the door face and appear to be continuations of the belt line molding 45. Thus, in conjunction with my improved concealed door hinge, practically -all protruding parts on the vehicle body are eliminated, and the ideal in streamline eflect is attained.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, manner of operation and several advantages of my invention will be clearly and fully understood.

1 have specifically referred to two desirable embodiments of my improved concealed hinge. However, it will be understood that in practice and in the adaptation of my new hinge to difierent types of motor vehicle bodies and doors various modifications of the above described constructions may be found advisable or desirable. Accordingly, it is to be understood,'th at I reserve the privilege of resorting to such legitimate variations in the form, construction and relative ar-' rangement of the several parts as may fairly be considered as comprehended within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination a vertical hinge pin adapted to be fixedly mounted within a door pillar, a hinge member adapted to be fixed to a doorand having means for removable engagement with said hinge pin, and means retaining said member in cooperative relation with the hinge pin and supporting said member for swinging movement about the axis of said pin, said means including a part directly co-actlng with said member and permanently mounted upon the hinge pin for rotation about the axis thereof- 2. In combination a vertical hinge pin adapted to be mounted within a door pillar, a hinge member adapted to be fixed to a door and having means for removable engagement with said hinge pin, and means for retaining said member in cooperative relation with the hinge pin and supporting the door for swinging movement about the axis of said pin, said means including a part permanently pivoted upon the hinge pin, and

means for detachably coupling said part to said hinge member at a point in spaced relation to said hinge pin.

3. In combination a vertical hing; pin adapted to be mounted within a door pillar, a hinge member adapted to be fixed to a door and having means for removable engagement with said hinge pin, and means for retaining said member in cooperative relation-with the hinge pin and supporting the door for swinging movement about the axis of said pin, said means including a member permanently pivoted upon thethinge pin, and

coupling means operable-to connect or disconnect said members only when the door is open and inaccessibly housed within the pillar door is closed.

4. A supporting hinge for a door comprising a vertical hinge pin adapted to be mounted within a door pillar, complementary hinge members on the door and hinge pin respectively, the former, having an open bearing seat for separable engagement with the hinge pin, and the latter being outwardly swingable from the door pillar into vertical alignment with the hinge member on the door, and means adapted to be engaged with said aligned members, exteriorly of the pillar, to connect the same for unitary swinging movement relative to said hinge pin.

5. A supporting hinge for a door comprising a.

outwardly swingable from the door pillar into vertical alignment with the hinge member on the door, and a coupling member adapted to be engaged with said aligned members adjacent to the door to connect the same for unitary swinging movement, and inaccessibly housed within the door pillar when the door is closed.

6. Meansfor hingedly mounting a door upon a vehicle body panel having a door opening, in-,-

cluding a hinge member mounted at one of its ends at the inner side of the body panel for swinging movement about a vertical axis, saidmember having parts extending at anangle of less than 90? relative to each other and disposed in a common plane, a hinge member of corresponding form fixed to the door, said first named hinge member adapted to be positioned with one of said parts projecting outwardly through the 'door opening and in vertical alignment with the hinge member on the door, and means for detachably coupling said members together for unitary swinging movement, said members at the juncture of said angularly related parts engaging the body panel at the edge of the door opening and limiting opening movement of the door to a position approximately at right angles to the body panel and out of contact therewith.

7. 'In a hinge, a hinge pin, complementary hinge members, one of said, members being permanently pivoted at one of its ends on the pin, the other of said members having means for removable pivotal engagement with said pin, and

- means for detachably coupling said members together for unitary swinging movement about said pin.

8. In a hinge, a hinge pin, complementary hinge members, one of .said members being permanently pivoted at one of its ends on the pin,

when I theaa'oaosp in superposed relation against relative movement and retaining said second named member in cooperative relation with said hinge pin.

9. In a hinge, a hinge pin, complementary hinge members, one of said members being permanently pivoted at one of its ends onthe pin, the other of said members having an open bearingseat at one end for removable engagement with said pin, and means removably engaged with theother ends of said members and detachably coupling the same together for unitary swinging movement about said pin.

10. In a hinge, a hinge pin, complementary hinge members superimposed axially of the pin.

and pivotally engaged therewith, and said mem- 'bers having cam surfaces, coacting upon relative pivotal movement of said members into axially aligned relation on the pin, to shift said members in relatively opposite axial directions along said pin.

11. In a hinge, a hinge pin, complementary hinge members superimposed axially of the pin and pivotally engaged therewith, said members 7C having cam surfaces, coacting upon relative pivotal movement of said members into axially aligned relation on the pin, to shift said members in relatively opposite axial directions along said pin, and means for securing said hinge members in the latter position against relative pivotal movement.

12. In ahinge, spacedlugs, a hinge pin mountedtherein, complementary hinge members having means at one of their ends pivotally engaged with the hinge pin between said lugs, and cam means operative in the relative pivotal movement of said members onthe hinge pin to shift said members axially of the pin in relatively opposite directions and into bearing engagement with th respective lugs.

13. In a hinge, spaced lugs, a hinge pin mount ed therein, complementary hinge members having means atone of their ends pivotally engaged with the hinge .pin between said lugs, cam means operative in the relative pivotal movement of said members on the hinge pin to shift said members axially of the pin in relatively opposite directions and into bearing engagement with the respective lugs, and means common to both of said hinge members securing the same against relative pivotal movement in the-latter position.

14; Means for hingedly mounting a door upon ta hollow door supporting pillar having an opening in a side wall thereof, said means compris-- ing a vertical'hinge pin mounted in said pillar, a-hinge member fixed to the door at one of its ends and a member permanently associated with the hinge pin demountably supporting said hinge member and the door, each of said members having means pivotally engaged with said hinge pin and means for retaining said members in co-op-' eratively assembled relation for unitary swinging movement through the opening of the door pillar. 15. In a hinge, a hinge pin, complementary hinge members of corresponding form, one of said members having spaced parts for interfitting engagement of the other member therebetween, one of said members being permanently pivoted at one of its ends on the hinge pin and the other of said members having means at its corresponding end for removable engagement with said pin, and means detachably associated with said memhers and retaining the same in assembled inter- GEORGE J. DIIE'RCER. 

